Shaking Off the Rust
by queenofrecklessabandon
Summary: Contrary to what the students at Shinomori High believe, their faculty experiences just as much drama as they do, maybe more. Watch as they try to manage their love lives, work lives, and just lives in general. Perhaps it’s easier than they think it is...


Shaking off the Rust

Summary: Contrary to what the students at Shinomori High believe, their faculty experiences just as much drama as they do, maybe even more. Watch as they try to manage their love lives, work lives, and just lives in general. Perhaps its easier than they think it is, maybe all it takes is to shake off the rust…

A/N: This fanfic will mostly be focus and be told from the senseis' perspectives, but it will include many, if not all, the students, no matter how brief their appearances are. Or at least, that's what I'm gonna try to achieve. And I just want to say that this will be AU. But I'm gonna try hard to keep with the spirit of the characters and anime and manga. I've also included translations at the bottom for all the Japanese words/phrases I put in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I probably don't own.

* * *

Chapter 1: What?

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Kakashi Hatake expertly threw a pillow at his alarm clock, effectively silencing it. He let out a small sigh. Yawning, he fished underneath his blanket for what looked to be a small, worn book.

'Ah… Icha Icha… just where I left you…' Kakashi thought to himself, as he got up out of bed.

Flipping through it, he began to read. He read while brushing his teeth, taking a shower, getting dressed, sipping burnt coffee, and getting his bag ready. There really was nothing else, as it were, other than reading. Nothing but papers, dirty laundry, and dishes strewn around the empty apartment, not that Kakashi took notice of anything other than work and his Icha Icha. Such was a sensei's life after all.

He stopped reading as he passed his mirror. He took a good long look at his reflection. His suit was wrinkled and his unkempt silver hair was in need of a haircut. Perhaps he would dye it, he thought, as he felt that his silver hair emphasized the stark differences between his eyes: one dark brown, the other a milky gray color. Grabbing his eye patch, he carefully placed it over his right eye to cover a childhood injury. An injury that left him almost blind in that eye and scarred from right above his right eyebrow to the middle of his cheek. It drove the students crazy with curiosity, not to mention the fact he wore a mask over the bottom half of his face but Kakashi enjoyed his privacy. Finally satisfied, he tried to fix his messy hair before walking out the door. Holding the book up to his face, he read the entire three blocks to work: Shinomori Private High School.

"And so another year begins," Umino Iruka said wistfully.

The other senseis looked at him and smiled. They all knew how passionate Iruka was about his students, after all. The teacher's lounge was busy, everyone getting ready for the beginning of the year and catching up with each other. The smell of freshly sharpened pencils and unopened grade books filled the air. Yes, the senseis were excited. Another year meant another beginning. This was their life: teaching. Shizune, Principal Tsunade's secretary, walked through the door, cheerfully handing out their students' schedules and greeting everyone.

Iruka spied Kakashi walking through the hall, his book and his face. Iruka had to give him credit though. For a man who spent his entire time doing nothing but reading that ridiculous book, he had amazing reflexes, considering he only used one eye, being able to avoid walking into students, doors opening, and such.

"Onegaishimasu…" Kakashi said as he walked into the teacher's lounge, still reading.

"Do you purposely challenge yourself to see how close you can make it to work without being late, Kakashi?" Iruka asked.

"Mmmm…" Kakashi replied without looking up.

Iruka rolled his eyes at Kakashi.

"Don't forget your schedules. They're on your desk," Iruka told Kakashi pointedly and left to go to his class.

Kakashi finally sat down at his desk. It was just as he had left it last year, messy and relatively unorganized. The drawers wouldn't shut properly because of the papers piled into it. A foul smell started to come from his desk, probably because of the way he used some of the drawers as a wastebasket.

Sarutobi Asuma, Kakashi's childhood best friend, walked over to greet him and sat on the edge of his desk. Kakashi nodded his way, as a sign of acknowledgement.

"I don't know how you do it," Asuma, told him. "You live three blocks away!"

Kakashi shrugged as Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma's long-time girlfriend came over. She shook her head at Asuma.

"Just let it go," she said, pecking him on the cheek.

Kurenai rubbed off the lipstick that had rubbed off on his cheek. Asuma grabbed her hand and held it close to his face. He was so in love with Kurenai and everyone could see that.

"You really shouldn't do that here… we're not high school kids anymore. And you're on my desk." Kakashi said, turning the page.

Just to spite him, Asuma turned around to kiss Kurenai fully on the lips, but she held a white envelope in front of her face before he could try anything. She put the envelope in Asuma's hands. Asuma pouted and Kurenai left with two coffee cups.

"Wait, where are you going?" Asuma called out.

"Haruka's office. See if she wants coffee. Don't forget the envelope!" she called back.

Kakashi's head snapped up at the mention of Haruka's name. Asuma took advantage of this and tossed the envelope at Kakashi's head. Unfortunately, Kakashi caught it in one hand.

"Nani kore?" Kakashi asked, beginning to play with the envelope.

"What do you mean, 'nani kore'? Just open it, it's for you."

Kakashi tore open the envelope and began to skim the small card.

"I don't understand… what is all of this?" Kakashi asked, confused.

"It's—well—it's an invitation."

"An invitation? To what?"

"My wedding."

"What?"

Kakashi stopped playing with the envelope and stared at Asuma.

"My wedding." Asuma repeated.

Kakashi put his book down, to Asuma's surprise. He stood up and looked at Asuma straight in the eyes, surprising Asuma further. They were almost the opposite of each other. Kakashi was long and lean. His skin was pale and his hair was silver. Asuma was tall, but burly and muscular. He was tanned from being an athlete all his life and his dark black hair matched his dark brown eyes. Kakashi grew up as the brains, the genius of the group. Asuma was the muscle. The only thing that didn't match up was how lazy Kakashi was. Asuma wasn't. Asuma was so much like a boy scout that it was funny how well they had gotten along when they were growing up. Asuma's suit was pressed, his hair slicked back. We're finally grown up now, Kakashi thought. Now he was finally getting married to Kurenai, the tomboy girl who had surprisingly turned into one of the most beautiful women of their class.

Granted she had never grown up out of that tomboy phase, no matter how big her breasts grew and how curvy her hips became, being rebellious and breaking the rules. She adored yanki fashion and the American lifestyle, which probably was the reason why she became an English teacher. Kakashi had always thought that this was the reason why they had been such good friends, because they were all so mismatched. Thinking back to the beginning, it had finally hit Kakashi how old they really were.

"Well… took you long enough. You've only loved Kurenai all your life," Kakashi told Asuma, smiling.

"Shut up!" Asuma pushed him. "You bastard… I thought you were going to try something… like talk me out of it…"

"That hurts, Asuma. And I could never do that. You love Kurenai… why would I stop you. But in all serious, ometodou Asuma. I'm happy for you and Kurenai! My best friends, finally together…"

Kakashi clapped him on the back and Asuma pulled him into a bear hug. The two men laughed, separating. Kakashi moved to grab a cup of coffee. Asuma handed him some sugar and cream and kept his eyes on Kakashi the whole time.

"Why do I feel like I'm about to have a serious talk with you…" Kakashi said, breaking the awkward silence.

"How long have we known each other, Take…" Asuma started.

(A/N: In case anyone's confused, "Take" is short for Hatake, Kakashi's first name. Asuma calls him by his last name just out of habit, and because they're at work. All their colleagues call Kakashi by his last name.)

"Wow. Now I know this is serious, you haven't called me that in years…"

"I am trying to be serious, Kakashi."

"Well—what's the matter? You're not actually trying to back out are you? Because if you are, I might just have to—"

"No no no… It's not that… I just… how do I say this?" Asuma looked away.

Kakashi cocked his head at him, beginning to feel a little nervous. He pulled his mask down to drink his coffee. Though nothing could probably have prepared him for the next thing out of Asuma's mouth.

"You know you're going to be the best man, right?" Asuma said as Kakashi sipped his coffee.

Kakashi choked on his cup, "What?!"

* * *

"What?!" Hisamori Haruka choked on her coffee.

Haruka coughed as she tried to shift the liquid in her air passage. No training as a nurse could have prepared her for this. Kurenai clapped her hard on the back and Haruka winced.

"I can't believe you're so shocked!" Kurenai said, laughing.

"Well I can't believe you're getting _married_…" Haruka said, finally feeling better.

"Yes, we're getting married," Kurenai repeated, though none too happy.

"Ometodou, Kurenai! I thought you looked different today… but you know, for a while, I had my doubts about you and Asuma. You always said you never wanted to get married!"

Haruka took a sip of her coffee, taking care not to spill on her clean white uniform. Like Kakashi and Asuma, Kurenai and Haruka were their own yin and yang pair. Kurenai had always been the outspoken, rebellious tomboy. Haruka was her opposite: shy, quiet, and studious, and… girly. Kurenai was sexy, outgoing, and fun. Haruka was cute, introverted, and too cautious for her own good. But she completed their funny little group. If Kakashi was the brains, Asuma the muscle, and Kurenai the spirit, then Haruka was the heart of the group. Kurenai had always defended Haruka when they were younger, but Haruka had always been the one who took care of things. In the end, being the caregiver became her job, as she was now Shinomori High's nurse.

"Well… maybe it's not such a bad idea as I thought it was," Kurenai admitted. "And I love him. It's just the next step, right?"

"When's the date?" Haruka asked excitedly.

"August 9. Just to give us some time together, during the break."

"That's clever, perfect timing. And just in time for Obon too!"

"Exactly."

"But why so soon?"

"I don't know… you know, circumstances being as they are… it just seemed like the right time," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing… Ano… Haru-chan?" Kurenai changed the subject, quickly

"Yes?"

"How would you feel about being my maid of honor?"

"What?!"

"Are you deaf?"

"What?!"

"My maid of honor. I want you to be my maid of honor." Kurenai sighed.

"That's incredibly Western, isn't it?"

"You sound like my parents, Haru! But I… I think it's sweet… I guess. Just think of how different it will be..."

"Oh, I don't know, Kurenai. Don't you want someone fun and exciting, like Anko for this job?"

"I don't want someone fun," Kurenai told her seriously. "I need someone organized and responsible and someone I can trust with my future happiness. Someone who will stop me from going crazy or making stupid choices. I've known you my whole life, Haru. And I want you to be there, you know, every step of the way. I don't know if I can do this on my own."

Haruka smiled and hugged Kurenai.

"Of course I will, onee-chan! And don't worry so much… this… this is all pre-wedding jitters…" Haruka beamed.

"I hope so… Oh, thank god. That's one less thing off my endless list to do before the wedding. Don't be surprised if you end up getting one."

"It's why you chose me for the job, right?"

The two women laughed as the bell rang.

"Kuso! I'm late for the first day," Kurenai whined. "Why did I become a teacher again?"

"Because you love teaching," Haruka said in a singsong voice.

"Usotsuke!"

"I am not a liar. You better go before Tsunade-san catches you."

Kurenai slumped and left Haruka's little nurse's office. Haruka spied Kurenai's coffee on her table.

"Wait, Kurenai! You forgot your coffee!" Haruka followed her with the cup.

"Don't worry about it!" Kurenai told her, rushing into the teacher's lounge.

"But you didn't even have any!"

"It's nothing—my stomach's just a little upset."

Haruka stopped her with her free hand, worried.

"Everything ok? I am a real nurse, you know. Did you eat something last night? Are you ill?" Haruka said, beginning to look her over. Kurenai pulled away quickly.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just not in the mood for coffee—oh look Kakashi left his students' schedules again!"

Haruka dropped the subject and just shrugged at Kurenai, giving up. Maybe she was just being paranoid, Haruka thought.

"I don't understand how that boy became a teacher. He's a genius, but stupid… really stupid," Kurenai continued before she stopped in her tracks.

"Something wrong?" Haruka asked her.

Kurenai smiled suspiciously, "Why don't you give Kakashi his schedules?"

"What? No, I don't—"

"Why not? You know where his room is. And you've known each other for years. Besides it's the first day, it's not like you're bothering him…"

"But it's kind of out of the way isn't it? And your room is so close to him!"

Haruka just looked away. '_Why am I worrying? He's my colleague…_' she thought. '_Besides… it's not like I'm avoiding him…_' she lied to herself. Even though they'd been working in the same school for years and had known each other for even longer, she hadn't really talked to Kakashi since they were in college. Neither of them could really explain why… they had just grown apart, which was natural considering they went in completely separate career paths.

"Haru-chan, I'm late for class, please!" Kurenai begged, shaking Haruka out of her thoughts.

"Ok, ok, I'll do it" Haruka said reluctantly, grabbing the schedules. "Just stop whining already… and don't call me Haru-chan here… you'll give the students ideas. I have to keep some sense of professionalism"

Kurenai smiled and grabbed her bag and her students' schedules.

"Come on, we'd better go, I'm really late now…" Kurenai said.

'_Oh god… what am I doing?_' Haruka thought as she walked out with Kurenai.

* * *

The air between Kakashi and Asuma felt thick as they walked down the hallway together.

"Look, Kakashi," Asuma stopped him before he entered his classroom. "I just—you're my best friend."

Kakashi sighed, "Ahh… ok. Of course, I'll be your best man. I don't know why you would choose _me_, of all people, but yes, I'll do it.Though that's incredibly Western, you know."

"Yes, yes. We know. You're not the first person to say that."

"It was just an observation."

"Get to class!" Asuma said, heading toward his own across from Kakashi.

Kakashi walked into his classroom. The students were all over the place, catching up with each other, Kakashi assumed. He recognized most of them. They were freshman from last year, now turned sophomores with the new school year. He sensed their pride in their progress, how at ease they were finally starting to feel at school. He set his bag down on the desk, thinking he had forgotten something.

'_What did I forget?_' Kakashi thought, scratching his head.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're late!" Uzumaki Naruto, one of his students yelled.

Kakashi recognized him. Uzumaki Naruto, the boy with the bright yellow hair and the big dreams. '_And the loud voice…_' Kakashi thought to himself.

"I have you again, Naruto?" Kakashi answered, flat, looking into his bag, knowing for sure he had forgotten something… he just couldn't remember what.

"Of course you—hey! You don't have to say it like that!" Naruto shot back.

"He's just shocked you passed last year, baka," Uchiha Sasuke, another student from last year muttered.

Kakashi shook his head. Uchiha Sasuke, heir to the Uchiha fortune. Naruto's rival, albeit largely unspoken rival. They were bound to give Kakashi many headaches this year.

"Omae—you wanna start something, Uchiha?" Naruto said, walking up to Sasuke.

"You think you can take me—tch—keep dreaming, loser," Sasuke said, standing up.

The whole class began to chant, "Fight! Fight!". But in the midst of the shouting, a bell went off in Kakashi's head.

"MINNASAN, URUSAI!" Kakashi yelled, stopping everyone before something could happen.

"I've misplaced your schedules…" Kakashi continued, searching his bag again.

The whole class groaned and whined. Kakashi had forgotten them, but felt reluctant and just plain too lazy to go back and get the schedules that were probably sitting on his desk. Perhaps he would get a student to get them, so he could watch the class in case the fight started up again, he thought when he was suddenly interrupted.

"I've got them here, Kakashi," a voice called out.

The entire class turned as one to see Hisamori Haruka, the school's nurse, at the door. She stood there awkwardly, in her white nurse's uniform. Kakashi was shocked. He couldn't figure out whether it was simply because she had the schedules or because this was probably the first time he had actually really taken a look at her since she started working at this school. When had they last talked? Kakashi couldn't remember. She looked so timid, biting her bottom lip. Had she always looked that way? Had he ever really looked at her in all their time together? These were questions Kakashi couldn't answer, but couldn't help lingering on as he stared at her.

Regardless, Haruka walked up to him and handed the schedules to a dumbstruck Kakashi. His eyes never left her. Feeling even more awkward, she just smiled at him. He looked so out of place as a teacher, she thought, staring at him in his wrinkled suit. She still couldn't believe he became a teacher, but here she was, in his _classroom_. The class froze, just watching the two do absolutely nothing.

"Does anyone else feel really awkward here?" Yamanaka Ino whispered.

The class responded only by nodding, their eyes glued to their sensei and the school's nurse.

'_Say something… anything…_' Kakashi pushed his brain to react.

'_Just leave, Haruka. You've already given him the schedules. Just leave… move your feet!_' Haruka thought to herself.

"Why are you still here?" Kakashi asked her.

The girls' jaws dropped collectively. The boys felt sympathetic towards their sensei. Kakashi's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say that nor did he mean to imply anything. Haruka's face felt hot. She hadn't meant to stand there for that long. Even the class felt how very painful that last exchange was.

"He blew it…" Naruto muttered aloud.

"Baka… shut up," Haruno Sakura scolded him.

"Gomenasai, I didn't—" Haruka started to say.

"No, no, I didn't mean to say that—" Kakashi interrupted her.

"I'll just leave now," Haruka said, beginning to turn around.

Kakashi instinctively grabbed on to her arm. Haruka stiffened in place. She felt her pulse quicken and her face felt hot again. Even Kakashi was shocked by his own actions.

"You don't have to leave—I mean, obviously, you have work—and I have class so it's probably best if you do— but it's nice having you here—not that I—uh…" Kakashi spluttered before taking a breath.

'_Just breathe and start over again…_' he thought to himself.

"What I'm trying to say is… arigato, Haruka." He said, bowing his head.

"Don't mention it," she said. "You can let go now…"

Kakashi looked down at his hand. It was still around her wrist. He let go, embarrassed. Haruka turned away from him quickly.

To the class she said, "Don't start the year off on a bad foot. Try to behave for your sensei, ok?"

The class began to regroup back into their seats, confused from everything that happened this morning. Naruto and Sasuke pouted and grumbled to themselves.

Haruka shook her head, "I'll see you later, Kakashi. Have a good day!"

Haruka turned on her heel and walked out, quickly, a little surprised at her own comments. '_I'll see you later… Have a good day?_' she thought to herself.

Kakashi just stared at her. His hand felt empty. The girls interrupted him, giggling.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Enough out of all of you. I don't want to hear anything. Let's just get the year started, shall we? Sakura-chan, can you pass out the schedules?"

Watching from the sidelines were Asuma and Kurenai. Asuma watched curiously from his desk and excused himself to look out into the hall. He saw Kurenai smiling suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

She just shrugged and walked back into her class. Asuma shook his head and did the same.

* * *

Japanese English Translations:

**Icha Icha**— this refers to Jiraya's _Icha Icha _book series. Ichaicha means "flirt or make out", and most sources cite that_ Icha Icha_ translates as _Makeout_.

**Sensei**—teacher, master, doctor. I use it to refer to the teachers in this chapter. (A/N: I know the plural is senseigata and I know I used "senseis" instead, but I figured I'd just make it easier on myself instead)

**Shinomori—**loosely tr. as "forest of death", from Shi no Mori, The Forest of Death in Konohagakure. This is where the second part of Chuunin exams take place and it's also known as the 44th battle training zone.

**Onegaishimasu**—I like the way akiweb explains this, so I'm going to cite them: "The basic connotation is the feeling of exchanging 'good will' towards the 'future' of the two meeting parties. Hence, it's sometimes kind of like saying 'I'm hoping that our relationship holds good things in the future.'" Sort of like a formal greeting, or at least in my mind. It seemed appropriate considering the context of the workplace.

**Nani kore**—"what's this?", but this is largely informal (because Kakashi and Asuma are childhood friends) but not uncommon in daily usage.

**Ometodou**—"congratulations!", this is also an informal way of saying it.

**Obon**—this is a Japanese Buddhist custom of celebrating or honoring the deceased, i.e., one's ancestors. It has evolved into a family reunion holiday celebrated as a three-day festival with varying customs and traditions depending on the city, town, family, etc.

**Ano**—a filler word, like "um, er, etc."

**-san**—honorific, usually tagged at the end of someone's name to defer to them as your superior.

**-chan**—honorific, usually tagged at the end of someone's name "to address children, female family members, animals, lovers, intimate friends, and people whom one has known since childhood" (wiki). It can be used as a term of endearment.

**Onee-chan**—"sister, younger sister", you could use this as a term of endearment for a girl who is very close to you, who you would consider like a sister.

**Kuso**—"bullshit, shit, damn".

**Usotsuke**—"liar"

**Baka**—"idiot"

**Omae**—a very informal way of saying "you". I wouldn't use this for anyone older or in a superior position. Said in specific tones, this could be used as an insult.

**Minnasan, urusai**—"everyone, shut up/be quiet!"

**Gomenasai**—"I'm sorry"

**Arigato**—"thank you"

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! Just wanna give a quick thank you to akiweb and wikipedia for the definitions. Anything I didn't catch please let me know. I wanna give credit where it's due. Please let me know if any terms or words need any clarification too!

—queenofrecklessabandon


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